McGuinty’s legacy grand but costly

Waterloo Region Record

As Dalton McGuinty steps down as Ontario’s premier, he leaves behind an impressive legacy of progressive leadership in hard times and policies that made millions of lives better.

But he has also bequeathed to this province a staggering and unwelcome legacy of unsettled bills for all of his new and enhanced programs. Even more disturbing, McGuinty leaves with no assurance that these bills will be repaid or that Ontario’s unbalanced, red-tinged budget books will be righted. For this reason, the considerable gratitude Ontarians owe this long-serving premier will be tempered with the disappointment that he departs with one of his biggest jobs undone.

In saying this, we do not begrudge McGuinty his right to resign when he sees fit. But should he not have held on a little longer? For Ontario’s sake?

In his nine years as premier, he ushered this province through the worst global economic downturn since the Great Depression. His role in saving Ontario’s vital auto industry was major. The economic stimulus his government provided was essential — and not just for Ontario but all of Canada.

Ontarians can thank McGuinty for delivering more timely health care, for closing coal-fired generating stations and creating a green belt around the Greater Toronto Area. Introducing the harmonized sales tax took courage but brought immeasurable economic gains. In Waterloo Region, McGuinty supported the high-tech sector while having the wisdom to provide the money light rail transit required. He deserves special credit for improving the education system in ways that were substantiated by rising provincial test scores and recognized internationally by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

If only the visionary had been a better manager. If only the progress he delivered was affordable or sustainable. Under his leadership, Ontario’s debt doubled while annual provincial government spending ballooned to $120 billion from $70 billion. Too much of this money was squandered in botched efforts to digitalize medical records in eHealth or operate the provincial ambulance service known as Ornge. The jury may be out on his dream of giving this province not just clean energy but a clean energy industry. But at this point, we would not predict a sympathetic verdict.

Then, of course, there is McGuinty’s irksome cancellation of two gas-fired energy plants, bad decisions made for narrow political reasons that will cost the public at least $230 million. McGuinty built his reputation on personal decency and moderation. The cancellation of these facilities was indecent and immoderate. To compound these sins, McGuinty has now prorogued the legislature, stopping the work of Ontario’s elected representatives and, more to the point, shutting down critics who were bringing forward new allegations about the government’s failure to release documents related to the cancelled plants.

Perhaps before deciding to resign as premier, he was simply worn down by the crisis that was the Great Recession, along with the constantly grinding millstones of opposition parties and, more recently, those bitter and relentless attacks from former public sector allies he was forced to confront with wage restraint. The final straw may have fallen last month when voters in the Kitchener-Waterloo riding byelection rejected McGuinty’s candidate and denied the Liberals the seat they needed to regain a legislative majority. Under enough pressure, anything or anyone will give.

But do the truly great leaders quit? Ontario is saddled with a deficit exceeding $14 billion this year. Its people need a sitting legislature that can take the steps that are necessary to rein in spending — and as McGuinty himself concedes, one of these steps will involve the devilishly tricky task of freezing public sector wages.

McGuinty has given much to this province. But this is not the way for him to say goodbye.